Disney starlet Raini Rodriguez is hitting the big screen again! The “Austin & Ally” actress’ new movie Girl In Progress is about single mom Grace (Eva Mendes). She is too busy juggling work, bills, and the very married Dr. Harford (Matthew Modine), to give her daughter, Ansiedad (Cierra Ramirez) the attention she desperately needs. When Ansiedad’s English teacher, Ms. Armstrong (Patricia Arquette), introduces her students to classic coming-of-age stories, Ansiedad is inspired to skip adolescence and jump-start her life without mom. While Grace becomes preoccupied with the increasing affections of her co-worker (Eugenio Derbez), Ansiedad enlists the help of her loyal friend, Tavita (Rodriguez), to plot her shortcut to “adulthood”. But as her misguided plan unravels, Ansiedad and Grace must learn that sometimes growing-up means acting your age.
Check out the featurette above where Raini dishes on her character Tavita & the movie. Girl In Progress drops in theaters today!

Remember when Lucas Till was asking fans to help raise funds for a movie idea he had? Well, it looks like the money has been raised and Lucas is in Thailand filming! Check out some more photos below of Lucas in Thailand. Looks like he’s having a blast.

Photo Credit: Matt Eisman/WIREIMAGE

What an honor! Ronald McDonald House® New York announced that it has appointed Jake T. Austin as the organization’s FIRST EVER youth ambassador spokesperson to provide a new voice for children facing the greatest challenge of their lives as they battle pediatric cancer. Jake will be introduced during the organization’s 20th anniversary gala event on Monday, May 21st at the Waldorf Astoria Grand Ballroom.

“It’s an honor and a pleasure to have a bright and talented young man like Jake T. Austin representing the House. His dedication to our organization is already a hopeful beacon for so many of our family members who look up to him and appreciate him for his charitable endeavors, as well as his work in Holllywood. We welcome him to our family.”

– William T. Sullivan, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House New York

Jake’s activities on behalf of the House will include starring in a public service announcement promoting the mission of New York City’s “home away from home” and all of the services the House offers to pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Photo: Andrew Cooper, SMPSP, © 2011 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.

Photo: Andrew Cooper, SMPSP, © 2011 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.

Check these out! The newest photos from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 have been released! In the first photo, we get our first look at couple Bella & Edward (Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson) and in the second, we see Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Who’s excited for the movie?

In January, 2012 at Bournemouth BIC Arena, UK boyband One Direction were captured on film during the band’s first sell out tour, performing all their hits plus a few surprises! The band filmed the show so that fans could buy the DVD and reminisce on all the memories! While you can pre-order now HERE, the DVD won’t be available until May 28th. Check out the video above!

PHOTO CREDIT: JSQUARED PHOTOGRAPHY

Rachel G. Fox, who you know from the movie Dream House and as a guest star on ABC Family‘s “Melissa & Joey” took the time to answer some questions for us! Rachel has a new movie, Jewtopia, hitting the Newport Beach Film Festival today and the second season of “Melissa & Joey” airing in May. Check out what Rachel had to say about her projects, working with huge celebrities, and what she does in her free time!

MissExclusive: Jewtopia is your latest film and it was selected to be in the Newport Beach Film Festival! First, Congrats!! Second, tell us more about the movie!

Rachel G. Fox: Jewtopia is a film about two men, one Christian, one Jewish, who were best friends when they were younger and lost touch as they got older. The film explores the differences in their families, traditions, and cultures, and also those of other religions as well. The two men, one Jewish, Adam Lipschitz (Joel David Moore) and one Christian, Christian O’Connell (Ivan Sergei) reunite when O’Connell falls in love with a Jewish girl, Alison Marks (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and needs help trying to woo her and her family. There is lots of religious and cultural humor by comedic greats, Jon Lovitz, Rita Wilson, parents of Adam Lipschitz and Tom Arnold and Camryn Manheim, parents of Adams fiancé (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and others in the film.

I play Adam’s younger sister, Jill Lipschitz. Jill is a quirky little character who tries to show her rebellious nature by dressing goth and by having a constantly bad attitude. The funny thing is she really likes her family and will probably end up raising her family just the way she was raised.

MissExclusive: The movie is based off the off-Broadway comedy. Is there a funny part in the movie you’d like to share?

Rachel G. Fox: One very funny part in the film occurs when Chris goes with Adam (when they were young) to dinner with Adam’s parents to a Chinese restaurant. The Chinese waitress calls Adam “little man,” and Rita Wilson hilariously exclaims, “You are not and will never be her LITTLE MAN!”

MissExclusive: Why should people check this movie out?

Rachel G. Fox: People should check out Jewtopia because you will laugh out loud, love the vivid, overly colorful characters, and understand better the differences between families with different customs, traditions, and religious beliefs.

MissExclusive: “Melissa & Joey” returns May 30th to ABC Family. Last season, we saw many sides to your character. What is she like this season?

Rachel G. Fox: On Melissa & Joey, I play Holly Reback, the girlfriend of Ryder Scanlon (Nick Robinson). In the first season, Holly is really dominant and controlling. Ryder is submissive and not too secure in himself. It’s cute and it works because Ryder is sweet and just really likes Holly. In Season 2, premiering in May, Holly goes through changes and Ryder does as well. You will have to tune in to see.

MissExclusive: You play a lot of characters with different attitudes, but it seems like they overlap in filming. How do you keep your characters straight?

Rachel G. Fox: Keeping a character straight comes from the preparation starting the night before reading over the script and my character’s part several times. Then it is further solidified during shooting days as I go into scene rehearsals, wardrobe, and hair and makeup for the character.

Then my very favorite part of working happens next, and that is creating memorable characters.

MissExclusive: You’ve worked on movies, dramas, & sitcoms filmed in front of an audience. Is there one you prefer?

Rachel G. Fox: I love all of it, every single solitary bit of it, that is creating a character, a human being, based on the writer’s imagination, coupled with the ideas of directors and producers.

My natural-given skills favor dramatic work, like the work I did in Dream House playing Chloe Patterson or playing young Jennifer Garner in the finale of Alias. I absolutely adore doing live-audience sitcom work, because it is an adrenaline rush and the audience just super-charges you.

I see myself gravitating towards dramatic movies and hope to have a career like Meryl Streep, who is one of my role models.

So to answer the question, I love it all!

MissExclusive: Jewtopia stars vets like Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tom Arnold, & Jennifer Love Hewitt and “Melissa & Joey” stars Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. What did you take away from all of these stars as a newcomer?

Rachel G. Fox: It is always amazing to work with actors who are so accomplished such as the people you’ve named. I’m not a brand new newcomer, having started working in Los Angeles in 2005 on That’s So Raven playing Buffy, Muffy’s little sister. But it does not matter if I’ve acted for 10 years or 10 minutes, I am constantly in awe of and learn so much from the amazing actors I have the amazing opportunity to work with.

I learn something completely different from each person, from preparation to demeanor to comic timing to focus to director-interaction to style and more, and then I incorporate the great things and learn from the not-as-great things.

I never take for granted all that each actor, director, producer, and other industry professionals have accomplished — who they are and what they’ve done and how they’ve done it and have the very highest respect for each and every one.

MissExclusive: Summer is right around the corner. When you aren’t working, what are you doing?

Rachel G. Fox: When I’m not working, I am trading stocks, studying for my Series 6 Financial License, which is issued by the SEC that will allow me to sell annuities, mutual funds, and other products, and help with my family’s insurance business. I also play guitar and sing and play in a band called Magnitude. This summer, I plan to travel, go to the beach, hang out with friends, and turn 16…. Sweet 16 and create memorable characters on film.

I’d love it if you follow me on Twitter right HERE.

Thank you for your wonderful questions!
Rachel

Is the latest boyband, IM5, turning to Disney? Disney Channel’s highly anticipated Original Movie “Let It Shine” premieres Friday, June 15 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) starring Tyler James Williams and Trevor Jackson.”Don’t Run Away” is a song on the soundtrack by Williams and IM5 and will be featured on the forthcoming “Let It Shine” soundtrack due this summer from Walt Disney Records.

The movie sounds great, and their new song is perfect, but is going down the “Disney” route what’s right for the band? We can see them fitting perfectly on the channel. Check out the song above.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Jake T. Austin attended the first annual NICHOLAS SPARKS CELEBRITY FAMILY WEEKEND in New Bern, North Carolina, this past weekend, Friday, April 20 – Sunday, April 22. The fun filled weekend included the premiere of Nicholas’ new film, “The Lucky One,” which stars Zac Efron, as well as a celebrity golf tournament, 5k run, welcome and farewell brunch, and special dinner at the Sparks residence.

Check out photos under the jump to see Jake at the event!

Debby Ryan has hit ONE MILLION twitter followers! The Disney starlet made a cute video for all of her fans thanking them for helping her reach the milestone. She posted the video with this message:

dearest interwebs,
thanks a million for getting me past a million followers on le Twitter. so so much love for you guys; I’ll try not to post too many bizarre musings on that thing.

not only does my new show Jessie take place in New York City, but wayyyy back in 2008, I went to NYC for the premiere of Suite Life & made a video there on this very channel [with the lovely Jared Eng, from JJJ!]. so, I decided to go back to the beautiful setting of real-life Central Park to make this video for my Millionth.

includes a tiny update on Debbyland. not even halfway through 2012, some of the raddest things I’ve ever imagined are coming to blossom. stoked to have you along as the sunshine on the seeds I’m planting..
[too much. that super female gardening metaphor? I can't even keep a cactus alive.]

that’s all.
-d

Check out the video above!